Casablanca/ Bonnie and Clyde – Context Essay

Compare how far the two films you have studied reflect the times they were made.

Casablanca (Michael Kurtiz, 1942) and Bonnie And Clyde (Arthur Penn, 1967) both respectively demonstrate the contexts in which they were produced in under the influence of two different Hollywood eras. The contrasting stylistic elements of these films are as a result of the movement away from ‘The Golden Age’ and the adoption of new techniques which shaped films such as Bonnie and Clyde in ‘New Hollywood’.

Casablanca is a result of the contexts in which it was produced, with the influence of the Hollywood studio system defining its outcome. The ‘Golden Age of Hollywood’, referring to the 30 year period between 1930-1960 was defined by its large constructed sets, emphasis on the stars the film had to offer and co-ordinated cinematography that all worked in cohesion with one another to serve the narrative. The studio under which it was created, Warner Brothers, had great influence over the films creation and could be seen to have its own house style which, like Casablanca, can be identified in other Warner Brothers films of the time such as Herman Shumlin’s Watch on the Rhine.

The film follows Rick and Ilsa, two lovers who parted because of the Second World War and her arrival before him some years later, happily married to a resistance fighter, Victor Laszlo. The influence of the studio is most identifiable during the opening sequence of the film. A fanfare precedes the emergence of the Warner Brothers logo in which the producers name, Jack L. Warner appears, marking the film as a prestigious production under the influence of the producer rather than the director. A-list actors from the studios stable follow on from the logo title card with lesser known actors coming after the main title card of ‘Casablanca’ as a pull factor for an audience to watch the film as it was in the studios interest to make as much profit as possible, running the film industry as a business rather than a creative form of expression. The effects of such influence results in a film created with intention as propaganda for the war effort rather than the creative vision of several people coming together.

Jack L. Warner was a firm believer in the need for American involvement in the war and a keen promoter of the ideals of President F.D.R despite being an ardent Republican himself. The characterisation of Rick in the film is an example of the studios exploration of political opinion through storytelling as his portrayal as a Hollywood hero, especially in the final scene at the airport where he lets Ilsa escape to safety and shoots the Nazi General only when threatened himself, presents his ideals of going against the Nazi regime as being heroic and encourages others to share his views. Much like films of the time such as the previously referenced Watch on the Rhine, Casablanca is a clear representation of a film produced in the contexts of the time as the studio influencing it expresses its anti-fascist viewpoint. Bonnie and Clyde would challenge these ideas by having two murderous villains as the protagonists and the Sheriff that kills them presented as the bad guy.

Typical associations of cinematography that defined the style of the ‘Golden Age of Hollywood’ revolved around the use of frequent establishing shots and shot reverse shot with the actors movements on screen coming from the perspective of the audience. Camera movement and large depth of field were also used to show off the films sets as a lot of money had gone into them.

When Rick is first introduced, the camera crabs from right to left to display the setting of the café with the creative decision taken to change the aperture from a deep depth of field to a shallow depth to focus on the stars and thereby glamourising them as they are items to sell. The camera tracks the movement of the cigar in his hand, tilting up to reveal Rick, centrally framed and dollying backwards to see all of him. All previous shots in the café had been filled with lots of extras whereas Rick is in isolation and the loud diegetic dialogue from characters can now only faintly be heard as the focus is fully on him. The blocking and framing of each actor is in line with the cinematography that was typically found at the time and doesn’t explore more radical filming styles such as the handheld camera shots associated with the style of ‘New Hollywood’ that director Arthur Penn used in Bonnie and Clyde.

Bonnie and Clyde could never have been made during the ‘Golden Age of Hollywood’ but after the decline of studio influence after the 1948 Paramount vs USA case, studios found themselves with reduced control over a films outcome. The case resulted in studios being unable to offload a years worth of films to a theatre, instead being forced to create films they were certain would sell. The increase in the amount of families owning a TV also made studios financially worse off as many could stay at home and watch repeats of older films. In 1950, the number of American households with TVs was at just 9% but 10 years later had skyrocketed to 87.1%. This saw a rise in independence within the industry and allowed for the stylistically unusual Bonnie and Clyde to be created.

Bonnie and Clyde follows the crime spree of a young couple in Southern America. The pair were well-known for their robberies of banks after the Great Depression hit in 1929. Penn creates empathy for the two protagonists in a film that would shame them several decades prior. Bonnie and Clyde is a product of the context in which it was produced in, with comparisons able to be made from Casablanca in the ways in which the studio influenced its production and the unique visual elements of the film drawn from the French New Wave.

In the opening sequence, the Warner Brothers logo is unaccompanied by fanfare and doesn’t have the executive producers name on it while the first title card is of Warren Beatty as opposed to a studio head, demonstrating that the studio is subservient to the artistic intent of the film. These opening credits are objective and cold in comparison to Casablanca which guides that audience in a linear way through the narration, giving the film as uninviting appearance, further showing the greater power of the artistic intent of the film over the studio.

Arthur Penn took great inspiration from the French New Wave when considering bonnie and Clyde. The style of French New Wave commonly used a lot of handheld shots, long takes and shooting on location rather than creating sets as seen in Casablanca. The ending of Bonnie and Clyde would have been particularly horrifying for audiences at the time due to the gory nature of the protagonists deaths which they wouldn’t have been used to watching. In Casablanca, the film has a positive ending despite Ilsa leaving Rick as he can walk free and the German General is killed. Also, as the pair are littered with bullets, handheld shots are used frequently as well as in other scenes which gives the film a sense of realism as camera movement appears more naturalistic in comparison to the composed movement in Casablanca. The long take shows the Sheriff come out of the bushes where they had been shooting on location in Texas where there is silence before cutting to black, giving the film a very negative ending.

One of the most striking differences in both films that reflects the time in which they were made is the difference in sexuality presented in Bonnie and Ilsa, most notably in their introductions. Bonnie’s first appearance occurs at the very beginning of the film and her sexuality is expressed explicitly through the extreme close-ups of her lips as she applies red lipstick and that she is completely naked. She is immediately established a sexual character which her flirting with Clyde contributes to. This is considered to be very sexual for modern audiences so more contemporary audiences would have perhaps found this unusual to watch because of the heightened sexualisation of her character.

Ilsa’s introduction takes place in Rick’s cafe when she arrives with Laszlo and her presentation is very different to Bonnie’s. While Bonnie desires Clyde, Ilsa is sexualised in a way that makes her desirable. Filters on the lenses when focused on her allows for her highlights to bloom and gives her a sparkle to the eye. Rembrandt lighting is used for her which creates a triangle light on the cheekbone of the actor which gives them contrast while a profile shot of concern from her as they discuss the Nazis still shows off her beauty. For Ilsa to have been sexualised in the same way that Bonnie had would have been outrageous for the time due to conceptions of the female role as a mother.

Both Bonnie and Clyde and Casablanca are a product of the respective contexts in which they were created, with the exploration of character and visual style contrasting each other as Hollywood aligns itself with ideas more redolent of the French New Wave as there was a progression from the ‘Golden Age of Hollywood’ towards a ‘New Hollywood’ which allowed for greater freedom in creativity and therefore resulted in experimentation of different concepts and ideas as seen with Penn when is far more able to bring his own creative vision to fruition than Kurtis some 25 years later.

Bonnie And Clyde/ Casablanca – Auteur Essay

“The Hollywood Machine Has Always Crushed Individuality In Filmmaking”, Compare The Extent To Which The Films You Have Studied Display Auteur Individuality.

Intro: reference abut the monopoly of studios in the golden age of Hollywood as well a the changes seen from this era into New Hollywood. Also talk about film over the entire course of its history.

Point 1: Discuss the golden age of Hollywood and how the studios dominated the cinemas. Write about how Casablanca is a product of the golden age form of filmmaking, with the studio acting as auteur. Link back to question by stating there was little room for individuality at this time. Jack Warner influence.

• Introduction of Rick and Ilsa compared to Bonnie And Clyde

Point 2: Changes between two eras and why they changed. Talk about increased amount of individuality in New Hollywood , with arrival of auteur theory and French new wave influencing films.

• Shooting on set and locations. Casablanca shot on lavish sets with high production values whereas Bonnie And Clyde shot on location in South America, which was an influence of French New Wave

Point 3: Industry more accessible to people. Block booking theat res no longer possible and easier to use cheaper technology allowing independent filmmakers to start producing films: Rising demand for films led to a surge in independent production; popular stars moved away from contracts with major studios and increasingly worked with independent filmmakers – studios had to sign a consent decree, meaning they could no longer show films exclusively produced by them in theatres that they owned; As a result of the United States vs Paramount case, studios could no longer give a years worth of movies to a theatre, instead being forced to create films they were certain would do well. The result of this was that there was an increase in production values of a movie because there were less being produced.

• The two endings nazi is killed, no blood – Bonnie And Clyde very gory, censorship changed, reflecting how directors were able to control their creative vision more than before

Conclusion: individuality did increase over time due to the difficulty of independent cinema in Hollywood at the beginning

Essay

Before the emergence of New Hollywood, individuality within filmmaking was restricted by the studios that produced the films as they owned a 95% monopoly in the industry, limiting the possibility of individuals breaking into the highly competitive market. However, the loss in the America vs. Paramount Pictures case in 1948 resulted in the gradual decline of the Golden Age of Hollywood and its subsequent successor allowed individuality to flourish within the industry.

The large monopoly meant that certain theatre chains would only exhibit films produced by the studio that owned them, limiting the power of the film system to several large institutions and restricting the individuality of many filmmakers who were forced into creating the vision of the studio. Casablanca is a product of the Golden Age of filmmaking, with the studio acting as auteur made evident in the opening sequence. The executive producers name, Jack L. Warner appears on the Warner Brothers logo as the producer is more important in terms of influence over the film than the director, Michael Curtiz, accompanied by a triumphant fanfare, celebrating the studio. This is followed by a title card displaying the A-list actors possessed by the studios stable with the lesser known actors being shown after the main title card and the director coming at the very end. Casablanca demonstrates the influence that the studio had on a production, limiting the amount of individuality given to Michael Curtiz and creating a film based on the dictations of the studio that hired him. In comparison, Bonnie And Clyde represents a shift to greater freedom of creativity in New Hollywood. Similar to Casablanca, the Warner Brothers logo appears but is no longer accompanied by a fanfare as the studio is subservient to the artistic intent of the film. The first name to appear is Warren Beatty, the main creative force behind the film as opposed to a studio head, with his name turning to red, foreshadowing the violent end his character meets, while photos of the Great Depression quickly cut in an uninviting way in contrast to the dissolves in Casablanca. This aims to guide the audience in a cohesive way, with individuality given more freedom in the New Hollywood style, differing from the Golden Age of Hollywood form with the title cards being used to reinforce the films story rather than as a ploy to encourage theatre goers to spend big to see the best stars a studio had to offer.

The change between the two eras was inaugurated by the arrival of the French New wave and the start of the auteur theory, allowing for individuality to develop in New Hollywood. Shooting on location provides realism to Bonnie And Clyde, unlike the approach of Casablanca. During the sequence in which Clyde searches for Bonnie, they run through a large open crop field where dark shadows cast over. This approach is more realistic than Casablanca as Penn can’t control the weather and doesn’t create an artificial environment to remove the shadows. Casablanca instead uses large manufactured sets with artificial lighting such as when Ilsa and Laszlo first enter Rick’s diner, while blocking of characters and framing is always in service of the narrative rather than the free-flowing handheld shots in Bonnie And Clyde which is less defined by the movements of the characters and thereby adding greater depth to the scene. The creative decision to shoot in small apertures rather than creating artificial lighting conditions further adds to the realistic nature of the film, inspired by the growing French New Wave. This gave directors such as Penn enhanced individuality on the films they created, experimenting with a new style unfamiliar to Hollywood, although the idea of Penn being in auteur is limited by the fact that many filmmakers before him had already experimented in their own films such as Jean-Luc Godard’s ‘Breathless’ (1960), working with unconventional storytelling techniques and handheld shooting. Despite this, the individuality of filmmaking was nonetheless vastly improved in New Hollywood, as evidenced by Warren Beatty, who played Clyde and produced the film, giving him greater liberty of control which resulted in the homosexual reading of Clyde, due to his portrayal of the character because of his desire to move away from the Hollywood heroes he was used to playing, indicating his influence for being an auteur, unlike Rick in Casablanca, where individuality was (limited).

Individuality within filmmaking was near impossible during the Golden Age of Hollywood due to the unfeasibility of financing and showcasing an individuals work. Theatres owned by major studios could block book them with their own films, meaning that individual filmmakers had difficulty finding a way of showing their work before the emergence of New Hollywood. As a result of the United States vs Paramount case, studios could no longer give a years worth of movies to a theatre, forcing them to create films they were certain would do well, resulting in an increase in production values because less films were being produced. This allowed for a thrive in individuality, as seen in the ending of Bonnie and Clyde when both characters are shot in an unfamiliar and gory manner for audiences at the time as the censorship had changed. This ending differs from Casablanca as the Nazi General is killed without blood or gore, highlighting a change in censorship while reflecting how the directors had far greater control of their creative vision.

Individuality increased within filmmaking due to the rise of New Hollywood which gave greater freedoms to filmmakers in comparison to the restrictions imposed on individual films during the Golden Age of Hollywood. Films like bonnie and Clyde demonstrate the change from creating the vision of the studio according to their house style, to application of new techniques within filmmaking from far more internal sources such as director, representing a shift from studio autership to the influence of individual auteurs.

Unconventional Auteur: Bonnie And Clyde (Arthur Penn, 1967)

Bonnie and Clyde is representative of a product produced under the influence of auteurs. While Penn is not an auteur himself, the influence of the style of the French New Wave is evident throughout and utilised to great effect in terms of the realist and unconventional style in comparison to Casablanca.

Realism is drawn largely from the sets, dictating the camera movements and editing choices in order to create a realistic representation of Southern America during the Great Depression. During the sequence in which Clyde looks for Bonnie who wants to go see her mother, the shooting location takes place in a large open crop field where dark shadows can be seen casting over the field. This is a more realistic approach to shooting as Penn can’t control the weather and doesn’t create an artificial environment to remove the shadow from the audiences view. Penn also uses a crane shot when Clyde starts running after Bonnie, making use of the wide open set granted to him whilst choosing to shoot at a certain time of day with small apertures rather than creating artificial lighting conditions, increasing the realism of the scene unlike the approach of Casablanca which was more concerned with making a scene look perfect. This style of filming relates to the influence of the French New Wave as the entirety of the film, other than the driving sequences, was shot on location as opposed to the manufactured set used in the production of Casablanca.

Lessons taken from the French New Wave are evident throughout the film. During the scene in which Bonnie and Clyde are killed, handheld shots are used as they are riddled with bullets and their corpses are surveyed by the Texas ranger. The handheld shots remove fluid movement and therefore contrasts the carefully orchestrated shooting style of Casablanca. Although Penn is experimental in his style, he can’t be called an auteur as many French New Wave directors had already utilised this technique themselves such as Jean-Luc Godard in his 1960 film Breathless.

Similarly to Breathless, Bonnie and Clyde’s two main protagonists are both anti-heroes that go against the law. The audience roots for these characters despite the violent crimes they commit and pity them at their deaths. Typically, Hollywood protagonists such as Rick in Casablanca were portrayed as being the hero of the film and so Bonnie and Clyde diverts away from this idea. Warren Beatty, the actor who played Clyde, was also producer for the film and so had the liberty of greater control, resulting in his influence over the character possibly being given a homosexual reading due to his desire to portray a character different from the typical handsome Hollywood heroes he was used to playing, indicating his influence for being an auteur.

The French New Wave developed the idea that the camera was a tool to take on the expectation of the audience rather than to capture the film with perfection. This is often the case in Bonnie and Clyde, concerning the use of editing techniques to emphasise something to the audience. When they pair meet with Bonnie’s family, the sound is dubbed as a child rolls down a hill, giving the scene a somewhat distant and dreamlike appearance that reflects the distance that the pair are from returning to a normal life. In the final scene, the movements of the couple are in slow motion but the bullets fire at normal speed, emphasising to the audience the amount of shots and heightening the brutality of their deaths. This bloody death wasn’t typical of the time period for Hollywood audiences but could be seen in foreign language films of the time whilst the use of jump cuts make the film jarring for an audience, resonating with the style of filmmaking of Francois Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard.

Bonnie And Clyde is an expressive Hollywood film with auteur features, inspired by the creative developments of the French New Wave and used to create realism. Elements of film form differs from typical filmmaking style during the Golden Age of Hollywood, adding greater purpose behind each creative decision in order to have an effect on the audience. However, Arthur Penn can not be considered an auteur, taking inspiration from the French New Wave, applying such inspiration to the overall style of Bonnie And Clyde.

Arthur Penn: Copycat Auteur

Lessons from the French new wave

The film echoes Godard’s Breathless as the films protagonists are both anti-heroes that break the law. The audience roots for these characters as they develop despite the crimes they commit and share sorrow for their deaths.

Bonnie and Clyde is shot entirely on location apart from driving scenes due to safety giving a sense of realism.

Cinematography often consisted of handheld shots without fluid movement as opposed to the carefully orchestrated shooting style of Casablanca.

Penn was influenced by French New Wave techniques and this can be seen in the film. Despite his experimental style, he is not an auteur.

Screenwriters: David Newman and Robert benton

Fond of the tragicomedy of Francois Truffaut. They worked together throughout the 1960’s including this collaboration for Bonnie and Clyde.

Director: Arthur Penn

Known in the 60s for westerns and worked on films such as Mickey One (1965) which were greatly influenced by the French New Wave and can be seen in Bonnie and Clyde.

Bonnie and Clyde one of the first films to focus on the anti-hero due to Penn, placing them as the protagonists and creating sympathy for the bad guys.

Editor: Dede Allen

Worked on many films with Penn and Beatty including the early westerns before Bonnie and Clyde and later working on Reds (1981) with Beatty.

Producer: Warren Beatty

He produced and acted in Bonnie and Clyde so he was given the liberty of greater control. Influenced the Clyde character who could be given a homosexual reading due to Beatty’s desire to portray a character different from the typical handsome Hollywood hero’s he was used to.

Escaping The Eight: The French New Wave

A Different World

• Emerged in the late 1950’s and rejected traditional filmmaking techniques, choosing instead to focus on experimentation.
• There was a desire to find new ways of storytelling that differed from mainstream commercial cinema.
• There were new approaches to elements such as editing and narrative while some of the social and political ideas were explored in greater depth.

New Voices

Jean-Luc Godard

• Introduced new editing techniques such as the jump cut.
• Influenced many American filmmakers such as Penn with his unconventional storytelling technique
• Works such as ‘Breathless’ (1960)

Alexandre Astruc

• He encouraged filmmakers to experiment with film, equating cinema to an art form with an artist
• Works such as ‘The Crimson Curtain’ (1953)

Francois Truffaut

• He criticised French cinema, complaining that scripts who adapted from literature to screen and then given to directors who shot the film without providing any of their own personal voice.
• Works such as ‘The 400 Blows’ (1959)

New Techniques

Typical features of the French new wave filmmaking style included:

• Location Shooting
• Handheld Cameras
• Long Takes
• Use of Direct Sound and Available Light
• Jump Cuts rather than Continuity Editing
• ‘Camera wasn’t used to mesmerise the audience but rather to play with audience expectations‘ – (Wikipedia)
• Things would appear jarring to an audience on purpose

Waving Goodbye: New Hollywood (1961-1990)

Hollywood Studio Decline

As a result of the United States vs Paramount case, studios could no longer give a years worth of movies to a theatre, instead being forced to create films they were certain would do well. The result of this was that there was an increase in production values of a movie because there were less being produced.

Studios had to sign a consent decree, meaning they could no longer show films exclusively produced by them in theatres that they owned.

A TV For Every Family

There was an increasing amount of televisions in the homes of Americans, and its growth in popularity meant that there were fewer people going to theatres when they could stay at home and watch repeats of older films, meaning less money coming in.

The film industry was able to respond with longer, colour films but the growth of television continued and despite the decline in popularity of theatres gradually decreasing, studios were still unable to attract the large crowds the they had been used to in the decades prior.

In 1950, the number of American households with TVs was at just 3,880,000 (9%) but in 1960, the number increased to 45,750,000 (87.1%) and 55,130,000 (93.6%) by the release of Bonnie and Clyde in 1967. (Source: ‘The American Century’)

The Rise of Independent Cinema

The rising demand for films led to a surge in independent production

Popular stars moved away from contracts with major studios and increasingly worked with independent filmmakers while some would set up their own production companies.

These films could afford to take risks due to their low budget, granting them greater artistic expression.

Penn and Pals

Arthur Penn along with filmmakers such as John Cassavetes were inspired to create New Hollywood style films by the French New Wave. With Cassavetes using improvisation when shooting and using actors from his friends and family.

Bonnie And Clyde (Arthur Penn, 1967)

Bonnie and Clyde is a a biographical film following the partners in crime of the same name as they rob and shoot their way across America. The pair supposedly killed 13 people across the span of their crime spree that came to an end in May 1934 when they were both shot and killed in Louisiana.

Bonnie Parker’s final poem titled ‘The Story of Bonnie and Clyde’ can be heard being read out by Parker in the film and demonstrates Bonnie turning their story of crime from a story into a legend that would go on to inspire the film.

The film utilises bluegrass music, a genre of music that grew in popularity in America during the late 1930s and early 1940s. It has a distinct characteristic of being upbeat in energy.

Unconventional Auteur: Casablanca (Michael Curtiz, 1942)

Research and write about how Casablanca is an example of a product produced by an auteur institution

Warner Brothers made Casablanca an example of an auteur studios approach to filmmaking. They developed a house style that was formed by in part by Michael Curtiz, director of Casablanca, who was very versatile and made sure that the human characteristics of the story were full represented. Curtiz introduced a visual style to Hollywood which saw the use of ‘artistic lighting, extensive and fluid camera movement, and unusual camera angles’ while working within the boundaries of the studio style. Due to this, there is a distinct auteur approach when looking at scenes that show off a large amount of people. When Rick’s café is first being introduced, the camera crabs from right to left, spending time concentrating on the actions of guests at the busy café. There is also representation of this style when focusing on the major stars in the film. Rembrandt lighting creates a small triangle light on the cheekbone of the actor which gives them contrast and is often used on Ilsa so as to make her look more appealing to the male gaze. Fluid camera shots track both Rick and Ilsa when they move around the set and its movement is often based on their movement. During Rick’s introductory sequence, the camera tracks the movement of the chess piece on the board and the cigarette he holds to his mouth, tilting up to reveal Rick and and dollying backwards, blocking him centrally framed to show the importance and the power that he has.

Warner’s also became known for their ‘big screen realism’ and the crime dramas and gangster films that became popular after the Great Depression as it resonated with audiences who had hit troubled times. These films, under the influence of Producer, Hal B. Wallis, aided the development of the house style that Warner’s were creating in the early 1930’s and gave their films ‘urban settings, snappy dialogue and a brisk pace’, most notably demonstrated during the pickpocket sequence in Casablanca. Exposition is efficiently delivered in a short space of time by the pickpocket so as to distract the man he is robbing and give context of the situation in Casablanca to the audience. The presentation of the exterior busy street set is made up of massive buildings, filled with furniture, mounds of shrubbery and a great deal of extras that show the lavish production values the films were provided with by the studios.

Typically films today in Hollywood might open with a small title sequence or choose to leave it until the end of the film. Should they decide to put the title sequence at the beginning then the directors name often shows up as one of the first names on screen because of the control the director has on the output of the film, allowing for more auteur directors. In the Golden Age of Hollywood however, it was the studios that were considered to be the auteurs due the creative control they had over a film which can be seen in the opening of Casablanca. The Executive Producers name, Jack L. Warner, appears on the Warner Brothers logo as the producer is more important than the director in terms of influence, with A-list actors following on from that to promote their stars. The director acted as an artist hired to produce the vision of an auteur studio rather than proposing the ideas themselves.

The Golden Age Of Hollywood: Casablanca (Michael Curtiz, 1942)

Research and write about how Casablanca is a product of the contexts in which it was produced: Cultural, historical, institutional, political, social, technological.

Casablanca incorporates a classic Hollywood style of filmmaking under the influence of Warner Brothers, utilizing key technological aspects such as cinematography and mise-en-scene while focusing on the political standpoint of its producer.

Casablanca is very much a film that reflects the contexts in which it was produced in terms of the cultural, political and technological. The opening sequence of the film strongly reflects the nature of the film as a piece of propaganda for encouraging American involvement in the war. At the film starts, the executive producers name, Jack L. Warner appears on the Warner Brothers logo due to his influence on the films production. Warner was a firm believer in American involvement in the war and a keen promoter of the Democratic Party and their President F.D. In order to show that the film is taking place in reality, the map behind the title cards shows Africa, rooting the story in reality while the movement of the globe turning as the camera pushes in, focusing on Europe shows the audience that the war is global and focuses on specific regions, emphasizing that the outcome of the war will have repercussions globally. News footage from real life where refugees struggle across Europe creates a feeling of empathy from American audiences with the intended effect of encouraging the public to be in support of being militarily involved in the war.

Extravagant sets were used to show the enlarge production budget of a studio due to the competitive nature of the film industry. These sets worked in cohesion with the cinematography used to show this off. The streets of Casablanca are filled with furniture and buildings with a large cast of extras. Due to cost, it was common that a lot of screen time was spent on these sets and this is helped by the cinematography. As was typical of the time, the camera movement and depth of field was used to show off the sets. In terms of composition, there’s a sense of scope created by the depth in the foreground and background and a balance between the top and bottom half of the frame, evident in the pickpocket scene where the camera is positioned behind the three characters talking, allowing the audience to see them while observing the streets, providing a world feel and brings the conversation to life.

There is a large emphasis on the stars of the film, with studios making use of the stables they possessed to their advantage. Camera and lighting is often motivated by the stars, using a shallow depth of field to glamourise them and Rembrandt lighting on Ilsa when in Ricks cafe which gives contrast therefore placing both in the foreground of the film. Ricks character is easily definable and takes on a more tough, no nonsense approach at the end of the film as the Hollywood hero, representative of all America.

Casablanca: Sequence Analysis

Opening Sequence 00:00:00 – 00:03:57

Fanfare begins over the Warner Brothers logo, marking it out as a prestigious production

The producers name, Jack L. Warner appear on the Warner Brothers logo as the producer is more important in terms of influence than the director, Michael Curtiz

A-list actors from the studios stable are shown following the logo as WB value their assets and its in their best interests to promote them as they are the pull factor for a large sum of the profit they make

Humphrey Bogart was widely known for his roles in gritty and realistic films

Lesser known actors follow the main title card of ‘Casablanca’

The map behind the title cards depicting the continent of Africa places the film in a real world, rooting the story in reality

The title cards are at the start of the film as there is major competition between studios and their stables and they have pride in their output

At the end of the title sequence, the non-diegetic composed score transitions to a rendition of Le Marseillaise, the French National anthem, which is belted out very patriotically, foreshadowing its importance later in the story before taking on a sinister tone at the end of the rendition, further foreshadowing the imminent trouble

As the globe turns, the camera pushes in towards it, focusing on Europe as that is where the war is most prominently taking place and emphasising that this film is set in a reality which is still occurring

There is non-diegetic narration which uses emotive language such as ;torturous’ and ‘refugee’ to evoke a response from the audience

News footage from real life events of wartime refugees struggling across Europe in harsh conditions plays in the background as narration occurs

The transition to the first shot goes from a map showing Casablanca to the location. A painting of Casablanca that gives the impression of an establishing shot

The camera cranes down to show a street filled with people going about their lives

‘Wait…and wait…and wait’ timeless – shows the length of the war and the desperation of people to get out of French Morocco to freedom

Set in a foreign country, exotic, unfamiliar, competing with other studios for biggest spectacle

Non-diegetic composed score takes a sinister turn, manipulating the audience when the policeman receives the telegram that the news is important

Exposition from Policeman of telegram that positions the audience in the film so they understand what is happening

Dissolve shows the passing of time – link subject matter of telegram to the following scene

Rapid editing and camera movements convey the urgency in the scene as people are rounded up

The shooting of the man shows the brutality in Casablanca and the corruption within it

Audience told to empathise with the man fleeing as camera tracks his movement rather than focus on the Vichy French so that we stay with him before he gets shot

Medium focal lengths and small apertures give a realistic and natural look that was introduced by Orson Welles in Citizen Kane a year prior

Man dies in front of the large picture of French oppressor

Close up shot of French propaganda to free France showing he is a good guy/ moral

Shot of French prison display liberty and freedom shows corruption as contrasts man being shot in the shot beforeahnd

The Enemy Arriving Sequence 00:03:58 – 00:06:29

Exposition efficiently delivered by pickpocket

Massive sets filled with furniture, shrubbery, impressive buildings and plenty of extras that show lavish production values

In terms of composition there’s a sense of scope not just because of the depth created in the foreground and background but also because of the balance in the top half and bottom half of the frame so there is no need for a cut when the pickpocket is describing what casbalancas like to the couple while seeing all three

Two shot where pickpocket I looking to the right while man is looking to the left which gives a sense of scope and doesn’t limit the world feeling alive to the conversation

Relies on racial stereotypes as a shortcut to tell story quickly with the untrustworthy foreign man, rich and confused Englishman

Encouraged to empathise with characters who hope to leave, girl foreshadow later on when hope turns to desperation giving a greater world view

Ominous score when bad plane is arriving

Plane full of danger approaches, flying over Ricks cafe

German soldiers uniform is the same to distinguish between good and evil

Framing of the shot is used to focus on the story – two shot on those two people

Rick’s Introductory Sequence 00:06:30 – 00:09:12

Dissolve showing passing of time

Diegetic upbeat score from Ricks cafe that increases in volume as the camera dolls in closer

Camera crabs from right to left to show off the large cafe set

creative decision that they’ve changed the aperture from a deep depth of field to a shallow depth of field to focus on the stars and glamourise them

Snippets of dialogue from characters that are trying to escape from Casablanca that help build up the situation/ Sam singing has been lowered in the mix

Dialogue builds up anticipation of Rick

Rembrandt lighting used on the stars which creates a triangle light on the cheekbone of the actor which gives them contrast

Close up shots of glass, cheque, chess board, smoking tells us what Ricks traits are before we actually see him/ Power – playing chess against himself and signing authorisation for someone else

Camera tracks the cigarette, tilting up to reveal Rick centrally framed and dolls backwards so we see all of him

All previous shots in his cafe have been busy with people talking and lots of extras but Rick is in isolation, music plays very faintly with little dialogue heard

Lazlo and Ilsa Sequence 00:25:18 – 00:29:53

Ilsa wears white – purity and innocence

Arrival has an impact as seen by the reaction shot of Sam the piano player as the camera stops tracking their movement and focuses on Sam

Camera tightens in, separating Lazlo from Ilsa at the table – centrally framed

Power levels – control French man standing over them then Lazlo stands up. Nazi officer is taller than all of them then Lazlo stands up again to assert power

blocking – actors positioned within frame helps to show power

gone from a 2 shot, framing is always service of the narrative, those who are talking are framed

Rick responds with witty humour, cool under pressure, strong leading man, refusal to be intimidated, displaying all the star qualities for which Bogart is known

When rick is being questioned rick is centrally framed

camera movements is based around bogarts movements, tilts up then pushes in – Bogart end the conversation dominance

glance object shot of the ring shows its importance

filters on lenses when focused on Ilsa which makes her highlights bloom and gives a sparkle to the eye

all characters we empathise with show dislike to nazis

profile shot of concern of Ilsa centrally frames her which still shows off her beauty

Leaving Rick’s Sequence 00:31:15 – 00:35:39

the camera holds on Ilsa as she is the important character

diegetic sound of Sams piano playing stops to underline seriousness of her request

long reaction shot of her when listening to the song focuses on her reaction which is important, centrally framed

the scene is defined by subtext, the dialogue isn’t explicit instead its suggestive and implicit

Rick enters dramatically, first time he seems aggitated

no- diegetic music on cut from rick looking at Ilsa and the reaction shot of both of them, dramatic

Ilsa presence is always felt throughout scene despite lack of dialogue due to composition

non diegetic score changes to something more sinister when the germans marching into France are mentioned

Lazlo and policeman have a conversation but shows reaction shot of Ilsa and rick

Composition of shot as they leave Ilsa in foreground while Lazlo is in the background as if overlooking what’s going on

Airport Sequence 01:35:25 – 01:42:10

Embraced his film star persona by the end appearing in detective style outfit much like the crime dramas

camera is close in on them when they are talking – two shot and shot reverse shot

shallow depth of field used puts a greater focus on them

non diegetic composed score of ‘as time goes by’ is a call back to the romance they shared

non diegetic composed score changes to a more sinister tone when transitioning to the nazi officer driving – foreshadows trouble

bogarts demeanour – tough, no nonsense, ‘manly‘

Hollywood hero – he only shoots when threatened with a gun himself

Dumping Vichy water glass in bin symbolic

French national anthem begins to play melodically at the end which draws the film to a close then becomes more upbeat as the end title card appears

Happy ending – Didn’t get Ilsa but made sure that she was safe with Lazlo, shot the Nazi officer and the two men get away with it and walk off free

Warner Bros. – Institution As Auteur

Warner Brothers: House Style –

The Warner Brothers films that defined the 1930’s were more “authentic” than other studios of the time.

The house style of Warner Brothers was formed Mervyn LeRoy and Michael Curtiz, one of which primarily made social dramas and the other films staged in a familiar real world. The values of Warners was of a thoughtful narrative with a realistic undertone, presented by the finest stars the studio had to offer. Typically a happy ending.

The actors in their films weren’t particularly remarkable and striking like other film studios’ stables, with actors such as Cagney not being known for being particularly attractive but was much like the ‘unremarkable guy next door’

They ‘made it big’ with their ‘big screen realism’ they employed from the 1930’s that begin with production chief Daryl Zanuck and later Wallis which influenced the gangster and crime films they became known for.

Executive Producer: Jack Warner –

He formed Warner Brothers along with his 3 brothers and gained “exclusive control” in the 1950’s wen he purchased his brothers shares of the company.

A loyal Republican but often promoted the aims of the Democratic Party and their President F.D.R who desired intervention in WW2. He condemned the Nazi Party before America got involved in the war.

Known for being difficult and working actors relentlessly. Despite being Republican, he encouraged films that promoted F.D.R’s ‘New Deal’ agenda as he wanted American involvement in the war.

Producer: Hal B. Wallis –

Producer of Casablanca. He left Warners after Jack Warner took the Oscar for the film as he was about to get it in 1944, leaving 1 month later and would go on to work as an independent producer for Paramount, Universal and sometime Warners.

Warner Brothers made an impact at the beginning of the 1930’s when he among others helped to create a series of crime dramas and gangster films which resonated with audiences at the time of the Great Depression because of the appeal it had to people in financial troubles.

These films developed a house style for Warners of “urban settings, snappy dialogue and a brisk pace, with scripts and performances that never strayed into sentimentality”.

Director: Michael Curtiz –

Already a well known director when Warners invited him to Hollywood in the mid-1920s as a contract director, helping them to become one of the fastest growing studios and made stars out of the likes of Joan Crawford and James Cagney.

He was a Versatile director and made sure to properly represent the “human-interest aspect of every story” and his attitude didn’t change when he joined Warners and was given the responsibility of directing major pictures.

He introduced a certain visual style to Hollywood by using ‘artistic lighting, extensive and fluid camera movement, high crane shots, and unusual camera angles’

Cinematographer: Arthur Edeson –

Director of Photography on Casablanca

‘In the late 1930s and early 1940’s Edison worked for Warner Brothers within the parameters of the studio style, but utilising his own below-eye-level shots and strong angular compositions, he was able to create Casablanca’

Worked on films such as Frankenstein (1931) and The Maltese Falcon (1941)

Composer: Max Steiner –

Some of his most notable works include King Kong (1933) and Little Women (1933)

An American theatre and film music composer who originally worked in England before moving to Hollywood and composing for more than 300 films

One of the most successful composers, earning 20 nominations for an academy award and winning three

Classical Hollywood Style

Classical Hollywood cinema is “a term used in film criticism to describe both narrative and visual style of filmmaking which became characteristic of American cinema between the period after WWI and the 1960s.”

Editing

“Continuity editing to captivate the audience without confusing or getting sidetracked by the editing over the narrative.”

“Shot reverse shot was used to make a cuts appear invisible. By using the 180 degree rule, they would match the eye lines of two characters.”

“Characters would have clearly definable traits, be active and would chase their goals. They are motivated by psychological rather than social concerns.”

“Sequences were edited to make clear for the audience the dialogue delivered in the scene”

“Often conformed to the three act structure, almost a condensed version of Todorov’s equilibrium theory. Act 1 equilibrium, act 2 disruption, act 3 new equilibrium”

“Editing minimal with nothing flashy so as not to distract from the story”

“Largely continuity editing with a minimal use of editing techniques such as parallel editing and flashbacks”

Cinematography

“There was frequent use of establishing shots, re-establishing shots, eyeliner matches, cut-ins, shot reverse shot and screen direction, where actors move on screen from the point of view of the camera or audience.”

“beautiful but not distractingly so, always used in service of narrative”

Lighting used to show off the stars that the studios had to offer

Camera movement and depth of field were used to show off the films stages and sets as a lot of money had gone into it

Sound

There is a heavy focus on dialogue and ambient sounds within the film while the realism is given up for a focus on effective storytelling such as during Ricks Cafe scenes when you can always hear the conversation despite the loud noise from every one else present

Scores are used at certain moments in time in the film so as to instruct the audience on how to respond to a situation

Mise-en-scene

The locations that are used have a “heightened exoticism” to show off the large production values such as the lavish constructed sets

“Staged sequences serve the narrative”

Performance

There is a large emphasis on the stars the studios posses and their qualities, using the strength and value of the stables they have to their advantage

The performances that are given by the actors are typically melodramatic in order to engage with the audience and evoke a response from them

Narrative

They typically follow a linear structure where there is a big focus on the story and the characters within it

Characters

“They are easily definable and follow genre conventions”

Monopoly Oligopoly Panoply

“America vs Paramount Pictures (1948)” –

Certain theatre chains would only show films produced by the studio that owned them and this integrated system created an oligopoly, where power is only held by a few institutions. It was also a monopoly as they controlled 95% of the industry and there was little to no chance for others to break into the market.

Due to this major control, the US government began an anti-trust case against the major film studios in 1938 which became recognised as America vs Paramount as they were the largest of the pictures studios and was therefore the primary defendant, although all 8 studios were involved as defendants.

The case was settled in 1940 and required all studios to follow 4 new rules: the big 5 were not allowed to block book short films along with the main films so as to reduce losses; they couldn’t block book theatres with just their own films; the theatres not owned by major studios couldn’t the forced to take whatever films the studios were offering; and they had to create an administration board to enforce these rules.

However, all major studios failed to follow the new rules which resulted in the America vs Paramount case being opened in 1948 at the Supreme Court, where the defendants lost and were forced to sell all their theatres. With a rising TV popularity growing in America and declining ticket sales, some studios got sold off with the 1950’s being a decade of great decline for the golden age of Hollywood.

The Big Five And The little Three: The Golden Age Of Hollywood (1930-60)

Around the time of Buster Keaton, the American filmmaking industry was forming studios, producing content to maximise the amount of profit. Commercial filmmaking, unlike more artsy German expressionism, became commonplace within the industry and throughout the 1920s these studios became bigger and more refined in creating films that would sell to the American public.

Between the years 1930 and 1948, 8 major studios controlled 95% of all films made and exhibited in the US. These 8 major studios were therefore a true oligopoly and became known as The Big Five and The Little Three

A film from one studio is representative of their values – Auteur studios

The Big Five:

MGM –

• Established in 1924 by a merger of a nationwide theatre chain and three production companies.

• Known for stars, glamour and spectacle, producing films such as Gone With The Wind (1939, Victor Fleming), The Wizard Of Oz (1939, ‎Victor Fleming)
• High production values and high levels of investment in production. Notorious for keeping track of money.

• Boasted having ‘a galaxy of stars’ that were kept on contract so they couldn’t be employed by anyone else such as Greta Garbo, Judy Garland, Greer Garson, Jean Harlow, Norma Shearer, Mickey Rooney and Spencer Tracy.
• They successfully weathered the great depression, making $15 million profit in 1930 and $4.3 in 1933, but they never lost money because they were efficiently run and made escapist films that people wanted to see in difficult times but sold off in 1969 and merged with United Artists before being sold again to Turner and then sold to a French bank, then to Sony and bankrupt in 2010.

Paramount Picture Corp. –

• Established as a distribution company in 1914 and acquired by Adolf Zukor in 1917 who merged it with his production company and started buying theatres, making it the first fully integrated company (production, distribution, exhibition).

• Biggest silent era stars such as Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Gloria Swanson, ‘Fatty’ Arbuckle and the biggest silent movie directors such as Cecil B. DeMille, Eric von Stroheim, Mack Sennett and D. W. Griffith
• Known for comedy, light entertainment and occasional epics such as the Ten Commandments (1923, Cecil B. DeMille), later stars known for having include Mae West, Marlene Dietrich, Hedy Lemarr, Barbara Stanwyck, Marx Brothers, Bing Crosby, Bob Hope
• Produced 40-50 films annually at their peak but struggled in the Great Depression, making $18.4 million profit in 1930, $6.3 in 1931, $-21 million in 1932, receivership in 1933 and bankruptcy in 1935, shifting almost exclusively to tv in 1960’s by selling all the films they made between 1929-49 to another company and acquired by Golf and Western

Fox Film Corp./20th Century Fox –

• Established as an exhibitor 1913 by William fox, became 20th century fox after a merger in 1935 with a production company
• Known for musicals, westerns and crime films, such as the robe which was the first cinemascope film, directors such as John ford, stars such as Shirley Temple, Betty Grable, Marlon Brando, Marilyn Monroe, Jane Russell,
• $10 million profit in 1930, $-4 million in 1931, $-7 in 1932. William Fox forced out of company in 1931. Owned by Rupert Murdoch since 1985.

Warner Brothers Films –

• Initially a production company but rose to prominence with the release of the Jazz Singer which was the first sound film, only becoming a fully integrated company between 1928-30 when they acquired a chain of theatres,
• The effects of great depression: $14 and a half million in 1929, $7 in 1930,$ -8 in 1931 but due to aggressive blood letting (fired) and assembly line budget productions they did not go bankrupt, making 60 films a year during the depression.
• Known for gangster, social realism and backstage musicals.
• Part of the success was because they had no stable, hiring the cast and production team on a film basis. Notable directors such as Howard Hawks, Raoul Walsh and stars such as Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, Edward G. Robinson, James dean, Bette Davis, Ingrid Bergman and Joan Crawford
• Heavily into tv in the 1960’s and merged to make Warner 7 Arts then Warner Communications, now Time Warner

R.K.O Radio Pictures Inc. –

• Began in 1928 and owned a chain of theatres with its own custom sound system

• Pioneered unit production, contract directors on. short term basis for 3 films but in return they offered directors full creative control, fostering auteur directors, hence Citizen Kane (1941, Orson Welles), King Kong (1933, Merian C. Cooper), Bringing Up Baby (Howard Hawkes, 1938), Notorious (Hitchcock, 1946)
• Associated with horror films and film noire particularly in its B movies, fully integrated system, after 1940 B movies became there cheap product,
• Effects of Great Depression: $3.4 million in 1930, $-5.7 in 1931, followed by bankruptcy soon after but purchased by Howard Hughes in 1948. Then went from General Tyre and Rubber Company, to Desilu Productions, Gulf and Western, and merged with Paramount and owned by Viacom

The Little Three:

Universal Pictures –

• Formed in 1915 in San Fernando valley not Hollywood which helped them to keep costs lower and be competitive
• Early stars included Rudolph Valentino, Lon Chaney. Later stars include James Stewart, Charlton Heston, Orson Welles, Marlene Dietrich, Janet Leigh, they innovated by offering stars a percentage of profits
• Notable films such as Frankenstein (1931, James whale), Dracula (1931, Tod browning), All Quite On The Western Front (1930, Lewis Milestone), after 1948 they were known for thrillers, melodramas and westerns
• Effects of Great Depression: forced to sell all theatres which affected ability to compete but utilised blockbusters to keep themselves relevant such as: Jaws (1975, Steven Spielberg), ET (1982, Steven Spielberg), Jurassic Park (1993, Steven Spielberg). Bought and sold several times and is now part of NBC Universal

United Artists –

• Formed by Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin, D. W. Griffith, of those 4 only Chaplin was still producing films by the 1930s
• Turned to distributing rather than producing, only became one of the major after 1948
• High Noon (1951, Fred Zimmermann), Marty (1955, Delbert Mann), various James Bond films during 1960’s, three best picture oscars in a row 1975-77,: One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest (), Rocky (), Annie Hall (), however overextended in 1970s, spending too much on productions that didn’t make money back and later sold and merged with MGM

Columbia –

• Established in 1930, a producer of B movies that they then sold to the big five

• In 1932, Harry Cohn became the president of the company and transforms it into a bigger far player
• The success of It Happened One Night (Frank Capra, 1934) led them to experiment with A film pictures
• They became known for adaptations of novels and stage-plays
• They had no stable but had successful association with people such as Frank Capra, Rita Hayworth, Judy Holliday
• Effects of Great Depression: survived because they only made low budget films and they didn’t own any theatres
• First of the majors to get into tv. They would make lavish foreign productions such as Lawrence of Arabia (1962, David Lean)
• Sold their studios in 1972 and bought by Coca Cola in 1982 then bought by Sony in 1989 and continues to this day

Casablanca (1942, Michael Curtiz)

Casablanca is a romance and drama about an American saloon man in Vichy controlled Morocco during WW2 who comes across a former lover of his and her rebel leader husband in search of transit papers that will allow them to leave for Lisbon and America.

Casablanca is an absolutely fantastic film and it’s easy to see why it is considered by many to be one of the greatest and most influential films of all time. There is a beautiful aesthetic to the film with a brilliant set design that showcases the impact of a country not ravaged by war such as occupied France but nevertheless under the influence of an ‘evil’ regime in the form of the Vichy and the Nazis. The love triangle between the three lead characters is very convincing and made all the more notable under the circumstances of war and the efforts each individual would go to, so that the other might be happy.

While a films purpose is commonly for entertainment purposes and this one likewise, there is a clear emphasis and focus on the American involvement in the war and propaganda to influence the American attitude towards the war effort. After the Pearl Harbor attack on 7 December 1941, Germany declared war against the US along with Japan and Italy on 11 December.

By the end of 1941, the war had been raging on for over 2 years of which America had been very much neutral, profiting from European countries through Lend Lease and other forms of trade and so joining the war was a huge step forward.

Rick appears to be the personification of USA. He is a neutral bystander, taking whichever side results in the best outcome for himself and making comments such as “I bet they’re asleep in New York–I bet they’re asleep all over America” which implies that America is asleep while Europe is fighting. Americas isolationism is also noted when Signor Ferrari states “My dear Rick, when will you realise that in the world today, isolationism is no longer a practical policy?”. Warner Bros. were clearly pro-American involvement in WW2 and Casablanca acts as a propaganda for the people of America to show there patriotism and support the fight in Europe.